NC Senate District 18
November 3, 2026 · State Senate District 18; North Carolina · State senate district · general
How do we calculate vote impact?
Vote impact = representation (how much weight one vote carries here, the smaller the district's population, the higher the representation) + decisiveness (how likely this race is to be close, based on past results and number of candidates).
Representation: Average · 61 out of 100
This district is mid-sized for its type, so each vote carries average weight. About 210,319 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(236,469 ÷ 210,319) ÷ ln(236,469 ÷ 195,610) = 61.78, comparing state senate districts in NC (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
Average representation + unknown decisiveness → Average vote impact.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
State Senator is responsible for:
- Voting on state laws and the state budget
- Representing their district in the state senate
- Confirming certain governor appointments in many states
- Helping district residents deal with state agencies
Affected Areas: Environment and Public Health, Reduce Wealth Gap, Anti-Corruption, Government Efficiency, Healthcare Affordability, Government Spending Reduction, Public Safety and Crime Control, Housing Affordability, Social Programs and Welfare, Public Education Quality, Gun Control, Women's Reproductive Rights, Election Integrity, Personal Income Tax Reduction, Data Privacy, Civil Rights, Corporate Accountability, Public Infrastructure
Candidates
Brad Hessel
Libertarian · declared
Brad Hessel is the 2026 Libertarian nominee for North Carolina Senate District 18, his fourth run for the legislature (NC Senate 15 in 2016, NC Senate 18 in 2018 and 2024). A Raleigh resident since 1992, he founded the knowledge-management consultancy Intelledgement, LLC in 1999 and holds a Brown University degree. He served as treasurer of the Wake County Libertarian Party (2013-2018) and executive director of the Libertarian Party of North Carolina (2014-2015). He faces Democratic incumbent Haseeb Fatmi and Republican Chris Stock in November.
Chris Stock
Republican · declared
Chris Stock is the 2026 Republican nominee for North Carolina Senate District 18 (northern Wake and Granville counties). A Wake Forest attorney and lobbyist, he runs a solo legal practice and previously served as in-house general counsel for a government-affairs firm; earlier he was a legislative aide at the NC General Assembly to Senators Wesley Meredith and Brent Jackson (a senior appropriations and agriculture leader). An NC State political science graduate, he won the March 2026 Republican primary over Cheryl Caulfield and faces Democratic incumbent Haseeb Fatmi and Libertarian Brad Hessel in November.
Haseeb Fatmi
Democratic · Incumbent · declared
Haseeb Fatmi is the 2026 Democratic nominee and incumbent for North Carolina Senate District 18 (Wake and Granville counties). A labor-and-employment attorney (of counsel at Ogletree Deakins in Raleigh), he was elected to the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners in November 2025 and appointed to the state Senate on May 21, 2026, succeeding Terence Everitt, who resigned and withdrew from the race. A North Carolina native, he holds a UNC-Chapel Hill degree (2009) and a Fordham law degree (2012). He faces Republican Chris Stock and Libertarian Brad Hessel in November.
Election sources
Source: wral.com
Source: ballotpedia.org